Altai Nomads Travel LLC

Our trip was facilitated through a friend with intimate knowledge of Mongolia through her in-country NGO activities and support. She worked with Altai Nomads and coordinated an itinerary and overall plan. Altai Nomads is a a full service outfitter specializing in custom itineraries for in and around the Altai region.

From the moment of our greeting at the Olgii airport we sensed that this company was special and that this was going to be a very memorable trip.

Our itinerary was comprehensive and included multi-night stays with eagle hunter families in the Sagsai Valley, overnight in ger camps, a memorable horseback ride up to the Potanin Glacier and finally one day attendance at a local very intimate Eagle festival competition at beautiful Lake Tolbo.

Serik heads up Altai Nomands. It is a family operated business. Our driver was the brother of Serik, our cook was Serik's mother. Rounding out our travel group was a young, engaging translator and our friend who choreographed all aspects of our trip with Serik.

They use several kinds of vehicles including Toyota Land Cruisers and the Furgon (UAZ 452). We used a Furgon for our travels. It is a four wheeled drive all-terrain mini-bus. We learned early on that our driver knew the mechanical ins and outs of the vehicle intimately. The Furgon -is not feature rich or the most comfortable vehicle to ride in, however it is solidly built with a powerful gasoline engine and standard transmission capable of travelling over any off-road terrain anywhere in the world.

All meals were included as part of our itinerary. Meals were varied and included amazing fresh, tasty home-cooked dishes. Eggs, french toast, fresh clotted cream usually served with sausage, tomato and cucumber made for tasty fulfilling breakfasts. Lunches were pre-made and served as a picnic. We enjoyed tasty soups and noodle dishes. Dinner menus varied with meat and soup dishes. Always tasty, and very filling. Bottled water, coffee, tea and (regular, and a local variant milk tea). It was also a real treat to have meals with host families.

Accommodations included Kazakh styled gers and hotel rooms. We were prepared for cold weather with warm clothes and waterproof outerwear. We also brought cold weather sleeping bags. Gers were comfortable and centrally heated by a simple fired stove (used for cooking and heating). In some cases sleeping accommodations involved using thermorest pads on heavy woolen ground carpets. Hosted stays involved accommodations in a family ger with existing bed frames and mattresses. There is no running water in gers, and therefore personal hygiene is covered by boiled water and your personal washcloth. Ger camps typically had communal toilets and shower facilities. Hosted families washroom facilities had no bathroom or shower facilities and typically included a long drop outside facility for guests.

It was apparent the Altai Nomads team had trusted and respected relationships with locals and businesses in the Altai. Team members were likable with easy-going personalities and continued to foster and grow those relationships with every interaction. Their partnerships with the Eagle Hunter families in particular benefit visitors in so many ways. Our visits to host families were received with excitement and great interest. Families were outgoing and welcomed us into their homes and always interested in us as foreign visitors.

Spending several days hosted with eagle hunter families in advance of the Eagle Hunter festival gave us a level of context and recognition other foreign visitors to the event would not have.

The Altai Nomads team went out of their way to ensure an experience of a lifetime. Their broader business relationships allow for great flexibility in the kinds of services and experiences they can offer visitors. I would definitely recommend Serik and his team for guided expeditionary trips throughout Mongolia.

The best travel agency in Western Mongolia Bayan-Olgii province.

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Огромное благодарность Руководстом компаний Серику и всем сотрудникам. 👍👍👍